Ciotola decorata con pesci e fiori di loto
Faience azzurra con decorazioni nere, provenienza sconosciuta
Bowl decorated with fishes and flowers.
Blue faience, unknown origin.
First period of XVIII Dinasty (XV century BC)
Berlino, Aegyptisches Museum und Papyrussammling
Three-fold rotational symmetry in the decoration of this bowl.
Note the eye of the fishes at the center of the bowl.
It seems a Escher's creation!
It is amazing that very old creations (pottery and seals) show symmetry in their decorations.
Note the eye of the fishes at the center of the bowl.
It seems a Escher's creation!
It is amazing that very old creations (pottery and seals) show symmetry in their decorations.
For a discussion on symmetry of the engraved images on seals, see:
Symmetries in Images on Ancient Seals, Amelia Carolina Sparavigna
Abstract: We discuss the presence of symmetries in images engraved on ancient seals, in particular on stamp seals. Used to stamp decorations, to secure the containers from
tampering and for owner's identification, we can find seals that can be dated from Neolithic times. Earliest seals were engraved with lines, dots and spirals. Nevertheless, these very ancient stamp seals, in the small circular or ovoid space of their bases, possess bilateral and rotational symmetries. The shape of the base seems to determine the symmetries of images engraved on it. We will also discuss what could be the meaning of antisymmetry and broken symmetry for images on seals.
Abstract: We discuss the presence of symmetries in images engraved on ancient seals, in particular on stamp seals. Used to stamp decorations, to secure the containers from
tampering and for owner's identification, we can find seals that can be dated from Neolithic times. Earliest seals were engraved with lines, dots and spirals. Nevertheless, these very ancient stamp seals, in the small circular or ovoid space of their bases, possess bilateral and rotational symmetries. The shape of the base seems to determine the symmetries of images engraved on it. We will also discuss what could be the meaning of antisymmetry and broken symmetry for images on seals.
